


Pure Sabacc

by AliciaSinCiudad



Series: AU - After Scarif [3]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-17 16:54:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9334211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliciaSinCiudad/pseuds/AliciaSinCiudad
Summary: I rated this "teen and up", because two people wake up in bed together. Nothing explicit or anything - if you are looking for a fic with some action, this is not the fic you are looking for.Arabic corrections are super welcome!!! I am really excited about starting to learn Arabic right now, btw. I have been practicing the letters one through five and the letter ﺏ (B). So I assume I will be having actual conversations within the next, oh, six or seven years.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I rated this "teen and up", because two people wake up in bed together. Nothing explicit or anything - if you are looking for a fic with some action, this is not the fic you are looking for.
> 
> Arabic corrections are super welcome!!! I am really excited about starting to learn Arabic right now, btw. I have been practicing the letters one through five and the letter ﺏ (B). So I assume I will be having actual conversations within the next, oh, six or seven years.

They had just arrived on Paloma that afternoon, and Bodhi was very very happy. After a series of missions that took them to places cold, wet, or both, they were finally on a desert planet again. The original plan was to take it easy that evening, and meet with their point person the next day, but when Bodhi suggested that they seek out a nice pub to get a taste of the local culture, it was hard to say no. Cassian hadn’t seen Bodhi so happy for a while, which brought a smile to _his_ face, and Jyn hadn’t seen _Cassian_ so happy for a while, so in the end, the three of them set off, with Chirrut and Baze guarding the ship.

They found a nice little place on the outskirts of town. It was built into a natural cave, carved out by the wind over hundreds of centuries. Bodhi brushed his hand over the red stone of the entrance and smiled. He had missed the feel of sun-warmed stone.

Cassian and Jyn headed straight to the bar for drinks, but Bodhi was drawn to the back of the pub, where he noticed a number of tables set up for gambling. He watched from the sidelines, hoping someone would notice him and invite him to join. After a minute or so, a human caught his eye and waved him over.

“Do you play?” she asked.

“What game?”

“Sabacc.”

“Oh. Right. I, um, I play Sabacc.”

“Care to join us?”

“Oh, I-I don’t know. I, I think I’ll just watch.”

“Come on, I’ll buy you a drink?”

“Oh, well, um, alright. Just – just the one round.”

Bodhi lost the first round miserably. It wasn’t even close. He frowned as he handed over his chips. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cassian and Jyn immersed in their drinks and their conversation. Which was to say, they didn’t notice his loss. Good.

“Want to see if you can win it back in the second round?”

“I – I don’t know… I p-probably shouldn’t.”

“What’s your name anyway?”

“Hardik,” he responded, giving the name of his older cousin. No reason to give his real name away. “You?”

“Tadame. Come on. Give it a chance. Maybe your luck will turn.”

Bodhi sighed. “I suppose I’ll try.”

Bodhi lost the second round as well. Tadame gave him a sympathetic smile. “Well, you tried anyhow,” she said. “Enough with the cards, though. Let me buy you another drink.”

Bodhi took a deep breath and put on a brave face. “I – I’d like to try one more time.”

“I know there’s such a thing as beginner’s luck, Hardik, but luck is not with you tonight. Forget it. Keep practicing, you’ll get better.”

Bodhi set his face. “How can I practice if I don’t play? P-please, just one more round.”

“Really, Hardik, I’d hate to win more credits off you. I’m worried you’ll start betting what you can’t afford to lose.”

“Just – one more round,” Bodhi insisted, and finally, Tadame gave in. Upon getting his cards, Bodhi frowned briefly, then quickly made his face go blank. Not quickly enough that Tadame didn’t see the frown, though.

Tadame set a small ante, which Bodhi matched, his eyes darting back and forth, and his breath quickening slightly. Tadame looked almost guilty every time she raised the ante, but Bodhi matched her raise for raise, keeping his eyes very nearly steady. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Cassian and Jyn were no longer as immersed in conversation as they had been. He bit his lip, hoping they wouldn’t come his way.

Finally, Tadame called. “I’m sorry, Hardik, I almost feel guilty taking any more credits from you. But I’ve got Pure Sabacc. It’s a really good hand,” she said gently. “The only thing that could possible beat it is –”

“Idiots Array?” Bodhi asked innocently before placing his cards on the table.

Tadame’s eyes went wide. “You – you’re –” she sputtered.

“Yes?” Bodhi’s eyes twinkled.

“You’re not a terrible player at all! You said you were a beginner!”

“I never said that,” Bodhi responded, all trace of a stutter gone. “You’ll recall, all I said was that I play Sabacc.”

“I believe you said that you play ‘S-sabacc.’ ”

Bodhi shrugged, and swept the coins towards himself. “A bit of advice – things aren’t always as they seem. A true easy mark wouldn’t have insisted so much on a third round.”

Tadame frowned, then laughed. “Fine, then. Buy me a drink? It’s the least you can do.”

“I’ve already given you free advice.”

“Free? That was some pretty expensive free advice!”

“Alright,” Bodhi gave in. He was in a good mood – dry desert heat, winning at cards, and an opponent who didn’t turn violent when she lost. He could spare a few credits for a drink. “What will you have?”

“Something strong. Ever had Corellian brandy?”

“What’s that?”

“It’s –” Tadame paused. “You’re having me on again, aren’t you?”

“Who, me?” Bodhi blinked his eyes innocently.

“Alright, any more shenanigans and you’re buying me the whole bottle!”

Bodhi laughed. Tadame had a good sense of humor. He almost regretted giving her a fake name.

“Hold up!” she whispered. Bodhi paused. “I think someone’s watching us.” At Bodhi’s quizzical look, she pointed to the bar, where Cassian sat pointedly _not_ looking at them. “Well, he’s not now, but I swear he was just looking. I think he likes you.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Bodhi blushed, and this time, it wasn’t for show. He certainly hoped Cassian liked him. The past month would be hard to explain otherwise.

Tadame grinned conspiratorially. “I want to see if he’ll come over. This could get interesting.”

“Never a dull moment with you, is there?”

“Life is short, Hardik. Anyway, I could take him.”

“Tadame, please.” Bodhi was starting to get nervous.

“It’s ok, Hardik. Come on, have a sense of adventure. Don’t you want to get fought over by the two most beautiful people in the pub?”

“Not particularly…” Bodhi could really use some of the aforementioned brandy at the moment. Tadame looked pointedly at Cassian, brushed her hand lightly through Bodhi’s hair, and raised an eyebrow as though to say _And what are you going to do about it?_ At that, Cassian began walking over. Apparently there was only so much he could take before he began to get jealous.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked as he got closer.

“It’s a table for two,” Tadame said.

“We can make room,” Cassian responded in a low voice, drawing a stool up next to Bodhi’s. “You don’t mind, do you?” he asked Bodhi, who wasn’t sure if he’d describe Cassian’s voice as a purr, or a growl.

“N-no,” Bodhi responded, and the stutter was real. What had he gotten himself into? All for a game of cards and some stupid credits. He hoped he wasn’t sleeping on the floor tonight.

Tadame put a hand on Bodhi’s shoulder. “My friend Hardik here was just about to buy me a drink. Corellian brandy, wasn’t it? Pity, but I don’t think he’s got enough credits for the both of us.” She gave his shoulder a squeeze. “We can share a drink, though, can’t we, my beauty?”

“Um…”

“Go on now, Little Bird.” Tadame’s smile was positively terrifying. Cassian’s face was completely impassive, which was even more terrifying. Bodhi decided that he’d rather be on the other side of the pub if things got ugly, so he scurried off to buy three shots of brandy. He drank his right at the bar, and ordered a fourth one. He would need something extra to steel himself.

When he got back to the table, Cassian and Tadame were waiting in silence.

“Anything you’d like to tell me?” Tadame asked.

“Oh, er… I’m actually quite good at gambling. Cards in particular.”

“Not so much with love, eh?”

Bodhi swallowed. “N-no. I – I suppose you’ve met my partner, then.”

“Partner?” Tadame raised an eyebrow. “How old-fashioned. How about boyfriend? Sweetheart? Lover?”

Bodhi looked at the floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lead you on. I really was having a good time, in, you know, a platonic sort of way.”

“By platonic do you mean winning my credits?” She turned to Cassian. “You were in on this, weren’t you? The whole set-up?”

“No, I swear!” Cassian responded. “I didn’t even realize he was gambling until it was too late. I thought he was losing, actually, and was trying to decide whether I needed to save him from whatever he’d gotten himself into.”

“Well, I guess he’s done alright for himself, hasn’t he?” Tadame scowled. “You’ve definitely turned me off cards for the night. I’ll be taking this, though,” she said, grabbing a shot of brandy and downing it in one gulp. “Have a good evening.”

Cassian turned to Bodhi, who downed his shot as well. Combined with the one he’d taken at the bar, this shot was just enough to calm his nerves. Until Cassian grabbed him by the shoulder, looking him dead in the eyes.

“Ok, Bodhi, tell me the truth.”

Bodhi bit his lip. He didn’t want to know where this was heading.

“How much did you win?”

Bodhi grinned and told him.

“You’re an idiot, my friend, but you’re my idiot. And that money is all going for the rebellion. Minus the cost of the brandy, of course.” Cassian drained his shot, and grinned as well. “Let’s go find Jyn and call it a night.”

 

 

The next morning, Bodhi woke slowly to sunlight and warmth. He smiled. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of waking up in Cassian’s arms. He sighed, feeling just the slightest hint of a headache from the night before. One ebla beer and two shots of Corellian brandy might not have been much for someone like Cassian or Jyn, but Bodhi wasn’t much of a drinker. He was thirsty, too, but he stayed in bed. Cassian looked peaceful, which was a rare look for him, and Bodhi didn’t want to disturb him.

After a few minutes, Cassian stirred. “Are you awake?” he murmured.

“I am,” Bodhi responded, giving Cassian a peck on the cheek.

Cassian opened his eyes. “I’m starving. Shall I make breakfast?”

“Sounds good.” Bodhi sat up and stretched. “I’ll make caf.”

When they got to the ship’s small kitchen, they found Baze and Chirrut already awake, sipping tea.

“SabaaH el-khair,” Cassian greeted them, his Festan accent coloring his Jedhan greeting.

“SabaaH an-nuur,” Chirrut responded, smiling. “I’m glad to hear that Bodhi is teaching you well. Jedhan is a beautiful language, is it not?”

“Not as beautiful as Festan,” Cassian answered, “but it’s alright.”

“Hal ‘aklat?” Bodhi asked, opening the cupboard to look for caf-beans.

“Laa,” Chirrut answered, shaking his head. “But I’m not hungry. Unless Cassian is the one who is cooking.”

“Hey, I’m not that terrible a cook,” Bodhi protested.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Baze said gruffly. At that, Bodhi fell silent. Even after two months, he was still just a little afraid of Baze. He turned back to preparing caf.

By the time Cassian had finished cooking, Jyn had joined them, and the five of them ate in contented silence for a while. It was Chirrut who broke the silence.

“It seems you had quite a time last night. Will you be sharing any details?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to just guess?” Jyn asked. “You seem to be good at divining things without anyone telling you.”

“I’m just a very good listener,” Chirrut responded. “People say much more than they think they do. For example, Cassian greeted us in Jedhan, which means that he’s feeling pleased with Bodhi. Am I right?”

“Mostly,” Cassian responded with just a hint of a smile.

“Why didn’t you know that Cassian would be making breakfast, then?” Bodhi asked.

“I did,” Chirrut responded. “But I wanted to tease you about your terrible cooking.” Baze barked out a laugh.

“I think the less said about last night, the better,” Cassian said. “Let’s get ready for today. Our contact is named Captain Sanae, and we’ll be meeting in a pub called The Desert Sun at noon. The captain should have some funds and a list of names of potential allies. Baze and Chirrut, I’m trusting you two to guard the doors, in case we have any trouble. Jyn and I will do the talking, so Bodhi, you just try to stay out of trouble.”

“Right,” Bodhi nodded. And Cassian wondered why he had an inferiority complex.

They spent the morning going over all the information they had about the underground resistance movement on Paloma, especially in and around the city of Prosir. Bodhi desperately wanted to walk around, to explore the markets, to see anything that might remind him of home. But after the night before, Cassian wasn’t letting him out of his sight.

“You would think a defector would be better at keeping a low profile,” Cassian teased him.

“And to think, he used to seem so shy…” Jyn grinned, ruffling Bodhi’s hair.

Bodhi muttered something in Jedhan, but he didn’t really mind. He was glad that they’d gotten to the point that they could all tease each other.

The five of them set out from the ship at half an hour to noon, and they arrived at The Desert Sun right on time. They found Captain Sanae already waiting, her back to the entrance. As they approached, the captain turned to face them.

“Tadame!” Bodhi gasped.

“Surprised?” she grinned.

“A little…”

“I’m surprised you didn’t catch on, _Hardik_ ,” she said sardonically. “I practically called you by your real name.”

“My name?”

“Beauty. Little Bird.” Bodhi Rook. Of course. “Consider last night’s winnings my contribution to the cause. You’ll find it adds up exactly to the amount you were promised, give or take a shot of good Corellian brandy.” She handed Bodhi the list of names they were expecting. “And a bit of free advice: things aren’t always what they seem.”


End file.
